#bigger problems

The plants, the animals, the scenery, all of it at least a hundred times too big for them. Quickly they put up the defense shields against the wildlife and strange weather, but it would be weeks before they could get their cloaking technology suited to the environment. In some last minute attempts to maintain the peace and calm the people’s worries as hysteria broke out, the scouts were sent to survey for danger and gather models for their cloaking tech. It made the people feel like they were doing something, and for now the peace was kept. 

It wouldn’t last.

Detes peers out from inside their hidden camp in the bush. “How long do you think it would take?”

Haro doesn’t look up before she replies, focused on mapping the digital recreation of a ladybug, “How long what would take?”

Detes’ grip on the branch tightens “For us to starve”

At this Haro pauses. Slowly she turns to Detes, “Don’t be so dramatic, the whole planet’s full of junk, some of it’s gotta be edible”

Detes frowns “But what if it’s not?”

With a loud sigh Haro stands, picking up a fallen berry as she does. Walking over with a limp, she tosses the fruit to the fellow scout, who catches it by instinct. 

“Eat this.”

“I can’t! We don’t know if it’s poisonous!”

“Well if you eat it, you’ll get at least one meal, and I’ll know if it’s poison or not”

Detes takes a moment to think. His gaze hardens as he tosses the fruit away. 

On the forest floor, the discarded berry begins to quiver. The woods are overtaken by heavy rhythmic thumps. Haro and Detes’s gazes meet as they realize what it is. 

Footsteps.

Haro pushes past Detes to peer through the bush’s leaves. 

“What is it?” Detes whispers from behind her. 

Haro can’t respond. Her eyes go wide, her antennae’s drooping back in silent terror. Coming towards them is the largest creature she’s ever seen.

A hundred feet tall with too many fingers and not enough shell, it stands on two legs much like them, but just different enough to know something is off. Eyes wet, Head dripping with hairs. And teeth. At least a dozen. Haro barely holds back a scream. 

It’s looking right at them.

“Detes, grab the scooter”

“Wha- why?”

Haro turns to him with eyes blazing “Grab the scooter, NOW!”

Detes runs. He revs up the scooter and helps Haro into the driver’s seat. They fly, motor spitting, crashing through brush and around trees. 

The monster is close behind. It follows them, walking towards them with slow even steps. Getting closer. Getting faster. 

Sweat drips down Haro’s neck as they weave through. Detes holds loosely to her waist, head still turned to watch the creature come at them. As it comes within an inch of grabbing them Detes squeezes Haro close in a death grip, staring in blind fear at the mammoth hand. 

Haro spins the scooter to a halt inside the safety of the ship’s shield. The creature flinches back as it gets zapped by the barrier. Shaking off the pain, it stops to stare at the spaceship in front of them. Curious it circles, watching the people inside as they stop to stare back. 

A hand presses up against the shields. It winces at the shock but doesn’t let go. Instead it pushes. And pushes. And pushes. Until the only protection they have starts to crumble at the touch. 

That’s when the screams start. People are running and an alarm sounds from somewhere in the ship. What little camp they’d created in the past few days gets trampled in the stampede. The beast for what it’s worth does nothing more but watch. As it starts to take its first step forward an electric rope latches onto it. It snags an arm. Then an ankle, next a hand. It stumbles back but too late, as it is overcome with a couple dozen pulling it down. It’s crash is heavy and the dust is slow to settle. 

Detes and Haro watch as the creature is led into the ship in chains. As it passes, it turns to stare them in the eye. Its gaze doesn’t leave theirs until the door closes behind it. It’s face was pale, its hands shaking. 

That night Detes shows up late, with Haro already waiting for him at the gate. The few scientists they have on board are frantically pacing the halls and taking notes from the observation chamber. 

What would normally be used for hologram plays or various sports has been converted into a cage which can barely hold its only occupant. The scouts stand at one of the entrances leading above the holotorium and into its overhead walkways. The creature sits below, hopefully just short enough that it can’t reach the walkways. It’s managed to squeeze itself into one dark corner of the room. It looks like it could be sleeping.

A scientist approaches with the key to unlock the gate, a large ring, and a couple of guns. A few others follow him with a huge sack of what is assumed to be food. 

Haro scoffs as the bag is offered to her. “Can’t one of you just push the food over the edge and leave the beast to it?”

The lead scientist replies flatly, “The creature has been refusing to eat, we don’t know why. The best course of action is to show that the food is harmless, and for that we need you. Also, one of you will need to sneak up on it and put this translator ring on. Talking to it could be crucial to getting good data and figuring out why it won’t eat.”

The scouts pale. 

Haro steps forward, “I can put the translator on, but Detes, you’ll have to drag out feeding it long enough to be a distraction.”

Detes nods, taking the bag of food in his arms. The scientists lead them into the chamber and lock the gate behind them with a sinking finality. The echo of it bounces around the chamber, and the monster snaps its head up at the sound, eyes glinting in the dark. It’s awake. 

Haro starts making her way down the walkway, Detes close behind. The beast’s eyes follow them. The scouts try to not look down. At the end of the walkway there is a clear sort of elevator down to the ground, surrounded by its own little force field. Haro stops here and Detes narrowly avoids walking into her. 

“You stay here and distract it with the food. I’ll have to head-” Haro pauses as she meets eyes with the creature, “down there and put the translator on when it gets close enough.”

As Haro turns to leave Detes grabs her arm, “Be careful.”

Haro looks like she wants to say something, but instead just nods, shaking away his grip and stepping inside the elevator. Detes watches her a moment more before facing the creature.

“H-hello there beast! I’ve got food for ya,” He shouts. The monster just tilts its head.

Detes pulls some large biscuit looking item out of the sack and waves it over his head. 

“Food, for you!” Detes says. Out of the corner of his eye he can see that Haro’s made it down the elevator. He takes a deep breath.

Detes turns to the beast, lowering the biscuit, ripping off a piece and taking a bite. He winces at the taste. “It’s good, see?”

The monster squints at him. Defiant, it raises a foot and stamps it hard, balling its hands into fists and shaking its head. Detes grabs to the railing as the walkway shakes with the force. His gun clatters to the floor.

The beast stares down at the fallen gun, then back up to Detes. It stomps again, watching the walkway quiver. It stomps, stronger this time, and Detes is thrown from the walkway, holding on to the railing for dear life. The rest of the biscuit falls. 

Then carefully, as if it were picking an apple, the creature reaches up on its tippie toes and plucks Detes from the rail. Detes struggles in the grip, tossing and turning, leaning as far away as he can as he is brought down to the beast’s face. Whimpering, Detes screws his eyes shut as it fiddles with his antennae between its fingers. 

*CLICK*

The creature’s gaze drops to its ankle, where Haro has cocked her gun. 

“Put my friend down,” She says sternly. 

Haro yelps as the beast suddenly drops into a crouch, looming over her with big curious eyes. It sets Detes down almost unconsciously as it moves to snatch Haro up, dangling her high above the ground as Detes watches helplessly from below. 

Haro’s heart races as the beast examines its catch, plucking the gun away like it’s nothing and stuffing it into a pocket. 

Thinking fast she quickly snaps the translator ring around a finger while it’s looking away. The monster gasps, nearly dropping Haro trying to get the strange device off. 

“Stop!” Haro yells. And the beast does stop. Silence hangs heavy as it stares at her, its mouth hanging open to reveal its many teeth. 

“You can talk!” It whispers, bringing Haro up to eye level. Haro nods passionately. 

“Can you talk?” The creature directs to Detes.

Detes flinches at the attention but replies as best he can, “Y-yes, I can”

“That ring” Haro points, “Is a translation device. It lets us speak to each other.”

The beast settles into a sitting position, moving Haro to two cupped hands to continue prodding at. “What are you? Are you fairies?”

“I don’t think so?” Haro replies, waving away a finger that starts to stroke her head. 

“We’re from far away, from a different planet, from space,” Detes offers.

The beast nods seriously at this. It tries a different question, “Can I go home? I don’t like it here, everything’s too small. I miss my daddy.”

Haro laughs nervously, “I-I don’t know”

The creature pouts and its eyes threaten to fill with tears.

“But we can try!” Detes says quickly, “We promise we’ll try and get you back to your daddy, okay?” 

“You mean it?” it grins, tears spilling. Detes nods. The monster beams and reaches out to Detes, who tries to run but is quickly caught up in a fist. It firmly plants a wet kiss on top of his head, to which Detes freezes, a little sputtering gasp escaping him. 

Both Detes and Haro are let down to the ground. “Thank you little people!” It says, then thinks for a moment, “Do you have names?”

“I’m Haro,” Haro says, “this is Detes. What is your name?”

“My name is Adina, but my daddy calls me Adi”

“Well it’s nice to meet you Adi,” Haro says, “But we have to go now. We’ll be back later, okay?” 

“Here, I can help!” Adi says, and grabs the two little scouts, holding them up to the walkway. They manage to lift themselves up and turn back to Adina, only shaking a little bit. 

“Goodbye Adi,” Haro says, and pulls Detes along until they are out the door. 

Once outside, Detes and Haro stare at each other a moment. Before long, both of them burst out laughing with hysterical giggles that soon dissolve into nervous little chuckles. 

Detes shudders, “We’re going to have to do that again, aren’t we?”

A team of scientists makes their way over. “I’m afraid so,” the leader replies, “That wasn’t nearly enough information. We still need to know what that thing is, how many of them there are, what kind of a threat they pose. Not to mention you didn’t even ask why it won’t eat anything! What did you find out??”

Haro smiles softly, “Her name is Adina.”